Using A Mixed-Methods Design To Examine Nurse Practitioner Integration In British Columbia

Aim To discuss and provide examples of how mixed-methods research was used to evaluate the integration of nurse practitioners (NPs) into a Canadian province.Background Legislation enabling NPs to practise in British Columbia (BC) was enacted in 2005. This research evaluated the integration of NPs and their effect on the BC healthcare system.Data sources Data were collected using surveys, focus groups, participant interviews and case studies over three years.Review methods Data sources and methods were triangulated to determine how the findings addressed the research questions.Discussion The challenges and benefits of using the multiphase design are highlighted in the paper.Conclusion The multiphase mixed-methods research design was selected because of its applicability to evaluation research. The design proved to be robust and flexible in answering research questions.Implications for practice/research As sub-studies within the multiphase design are often published separately, it can be difficult for researchers to find examples. This paper highlights ways that a multiphase mixed-methods design can be conducted for researchers unfamiliar with the process.